Turbine system



June 29, 1943. P. WEST 2,322,987

TURBINE SYSTEM Filed Oct. 6, 1941 K in 3 H4) wwto'b PER/Pr W557;

330 M1 fa invention relatestoiturbines and, particuandcool motive fluids are alternately usedlf' larly, to ,a turbine system wherein relatively 'hot V Theobjectof this invention is to provide a turbine system driven, primarilygby the energy from the, combustion products of gases, iueli oil, gasolinenatural gas, blast furnace gas, pulverized coal, or,the like. Additionallmcit is 1 hereinkproposed; to provide a system wherein it continuous combustion occurs, and wherein theenergy from combustion is. substantially continuously. utilized.

' Development of, such systems, broadlyiknown as gas turbines, has heretofore been deterred because Ch I the turbine blades wouldcnotwithstand forlong the heat from the combustion gases to which they were continuously exposed. With the efficiency of an engine directlys proportioned to the contrast j between the highestand the lowestheat content.

oitheworking fluid, itwas tound that the lower encl of 1 the temperature range was limited to about 70 Ftin accordancewith thetemperature or the surrounding atmosphere and j the overall efliciency, of cooling apparatus. and that the 7 upper end of the rangewas stintedby relatively ,poorheat withstanding properties ot-available ;.meta1s ataboutlOOO". F; It isanobject of this invention to'devise a turbine system wherein the upper end of the temperature range extends to 1 around 1500 FL"to.,1800 n, the lowerend remaining: atabout 70F., thereby to provide a system ofmaterially increased efficiency. i 1

Still again it is an object to provide a turbine system including bladesdriven, for'one part of a cycle byiextremely hot gases and cooled, "during another, part of the cycle, by air. To avoid heat loss, thecoolingair is preheated by the'hot'gase's during exhaust so. that, as the cooling air expands into theturbine chamber, it absorbs'heatthereironi andalsodrivestheblades. g M l In contrastwith previous systems utilizing,al-

fternatelvfhot' gas andfcooling. air and requiring intermittent combustion, the. present},invention contemplates utilizing "two turbines geared,to,--.

products of the co ntin uous' combustionbeing directed firsttoone turbine and thenlto theiother.

While hot gases drive 'the'nrst turbine; thesecond gether, and continuous co"rnbustionfsystem, the I T is simultaneously cooled and drivenby 'air pre- 1 heated and compressed by the hot gas exhaust. When the first turbine has absorbed as much heat from the hot gases as it can stand, thesystem 'is switched so that air cools and drives the first turbine while the; gases drive the second.

auxiliary object is to utilize the exhaust of the hot air,aiter it leaves the turbines for preheat- 1 branches H and II, respectively. e I p Center branch l3 feeds airto the burner chamin the art. v 1

ing the air used for combustion. Yet-another 7 object isto provide a compactsystemthe principalelements of which serve-double'duty, 'flrst for utilizing gas; andthe'n'for air"; Since relatively few of the elementsare subject to the most.

intense heat in the system for-very lo'ng,-itisalso intended to provide a unit of relatively low weight and cost. i V

These and other objectives will appear in pthe following specification and drawing which diagrammatically illustrates the system. i

Starting atthe lower end of the drawing, reference numeral I "designates an inlet from the [atmosphere of air, at relatively low temperature and pressure, air being drawn through inlet Iinto centrifugalair compressor! driven by anelectric motor I suitably connected to resource of electric .powerppreferably a generator ii describedlbelow. From the. discharge end"! or compressor! the air is driven touaheader 'll for distribution to a center branch li and to leftkand right end berv. l5. of a combustion chamber indicated generally by reference numeral II, the burner chambe'r' containing a continuously operating burner l9 fed withtuel from source conduit 38 through throttle apparatus ,39 and fuel burner conduit 2!,

continuous burners of thistype being well known End branches. 14,10 feed "air through heat exchangers ,l6, 16' as indicated by arrows A, 'A, 1. the air being heated in transit through the heat exchangersyaiter which the air passes to left and right-conduits i8, |I, respectively, conduitsll, l8 eachbeing split into arms 20, 20' to feed an air chamber 23 which surrounds bumerchamber l5pin, combustion chamber l1, and arms'22, 12

which by-pass combustion chamber l1 and lead etoyokedswitch dampers 25,25 detailed below.

: :Fromswitchdampers 25, Z5,j'conduits 24, 2|", respectively, connect to the input side of turbines 26, 26' which have a common shaft l'l connected at one .end:to a starting motor 28 and at the other. end to a generator 31 or other power utilizing device; 1 ,Exhaust lines. 32, 3! lead from the out- 'spllt sides, of the turbines'through heat exchangers I6, 16,. asindicatedgbyiines B, B and to outlet openings 3|, to the atmosphere. Dampers 36, 36' are provided for closing on the'ou'tlet openings'and,simultaneously, reverting the still hot air'through return 31 to intake openingl for preheating the air'co'ming from the atmosphere. In the first cycle of operation, considering the i left side of the system'first for clarity, relatively cool, low pressure air is taken from the atmosthrough input 24 to turbine 26 to drive shaft 21.

Hot gases from turbine 26 exhaust through line 32 and through heat exchanger It, thus giving up heatto air fed through heat exchanger I61 from left end branch ll 'of header H. The preheated air from heat exchanger I5 is fed to conduit [8,

branch 22 of which is blocked by switch damper 25. Branch being open, however, the preheated air is fed into the air chamber 23 which surrounds burner chamber I5 in combustion chamber I! for tempering the hot combustion gases. One part of the air in chamber 23 passes from the open end thereof between switch dampers 25, 25 and intermingles with the combustion gases to driveturbine 26, the other part passing on through chamber 23 to arm 20' of conduit l8 and through arm 22', which is switchedby switch damper 25 into communication with input conduit 24 of turbine 26. Fromturbine 26', hot air is exhausted by line 32' through heat exchanger IE, to partially closed damper 36', from which a part of the hot air returns through 31 topreheat the, air entering at l.

Considering now the right-hand Side of the system, air from compressor 5 is meanwhile driven through header I I and through right hand branch 14' to'heat exchanger [6, in which it derives some heat from the exhaust of turbine 26. From heat exchanger I6, the now hot air passes through conduit l8 into arm 22' where it com- When the blades in turbine-26 can-absorb no more heat without deterioration, the thermostatic element in turbine 26 causes dampers 25, 25' to swing to the right, thus switching the system to its second cycle. Thereafter, a thermostatic element in turbine 26' returns dampers 25, 25' to I the positions shown when the blades in turbine apparatus may be interposed either in the compressed air supply or in the fuel or gas supply. These may be operated either in accordance with the speed changes in the turbines or manually controlled arbitrarily. For instance, control mechanism including gearing K, shaft S, governor S, and pivoted link L, is effective upon inbines with the heated air from the other side of the system and passes switch damper 25" into input conduit 24'to drive turbine 26'. r I

In the second cycle ofoperation, the positions of switch dampers 25, 25' are reversed, that is,

Simultaneously damper 38 swings to the left partially to close outlet opening 35, and damper 36' crease of turbine speed to (1) cause through movement of rod R, actuation of throttle apparatus 39, thus reducing fuel flow to burner l9, and (2) cause through movement of rod R, actuation of throttle valve 40 in the compressed air line, thus reducing the supply of air; Of course a reduction in turbine speed reverses the action of the controls.

From the above description, it will be seen that not only is heat derived by the relatively cool air from the heat exchangers, but also from the turbines themselves, the materials of which store heat derived from the hot gases forrapidly expanding the cooling air entering the turbines.

The invention is not to be limited to the specific system disclosed, but is intendedto cover all equivalents, substitutes, and modifications within the scope of the following claims. i I claim: Y 1. In a continuous combustion turbine system, a'first turbine, a second turbine, a continuous type combustion chamber for producing hot 'gases,a source of relatively cool fluid'under pressure, conduit means connecting said chamber and said source to said turbines, switch means for regulating the flow of said gases and said fluid in said conduit means, said switch means being movable between two positions, in the first is swung to the left" to shut oif return31from exhaust line 32.

cycle first described. Turbine 251s now driven and cooled by hot air while turbine 26 is driven by the hot combustion gases.

The system being diagrammaticallyillustrated, it is tobe understood that any of'the well known fuel injectors may be utilized to feed burner l9,

and any necessary relief valves, dampers or the like to prevent excess pressures or undesired back pressures in the lines and combustion chamber 1 -may be incorporated.

' In the preferred embodiment, switch dampers 25, 25' are yoked together as shown and oscillated between their left and right'hand positions by a single drivingv member D. The driving member D is operated by piston mechanism? and P controlled by thermostatic elements ,embedded, as

In the second cycle, the operation of the system is the reverseof that in the said positions of which said positions said chamber and said source respectively communicate with said first and second turbines, in the second of which positions said source and said chamber respectively communicate with said first and second turbines, and means for oscillating said'switch means between said'positions. I

2. The combination claimed in claim '1,- said means for oscillating said switch means between including thermal-responsive means operabl in accordance with the heat in at least one of said turbines, and control means operably connecting said thermal-responsive means and said switch means whereby, when I said switch means is in one of'said positions, to

move said switch means frornone to the other of said positions when said one turbine attains a predetermined temperature.

3. The combination claimed in claim 1, said source' of air under pressure including heatexchange means connected with at least .one of said turbines, andmeans for forcing said fluid through said heat-exchange means.

v 4. The combination claimed in claim 1, said source of air under pressure including heat-exchange means on the output side of each of said turbines, and means for forcing said fluid chamber, heat-exchange means connected to the outlet sides of said turbines, fluid line means for feeding fluid under pressure through said heat exchange means flrst and second input conduit means connected, respectively, to the input side of said turbines, means movable between two positions for connecting said combusof turbine blades, input and outlet respectively directing and exhausting men fluid to and from said sets, heat-exchange means connected to said outlet means, said heat-ex change means including air conduit means, continuously operable combustion means, means for feeding air under pressure to said combustion means and to one end-of said air conduit means,

tion chamber to said first input conduit means and said fluid line means to said second input conduit means in the first of said positions, and for connecting said fluid line means to said first input conduit means and said combustion chamber to said second input conduit means in the second of said positions, and means for moving said movable means between said positions.

6. In a turbine system, first and second sets of turbine blades, a source of ,hot combustion gases, a source of relatively cool fluid under pressure, control means movable between two positions for causing said gases and said fluid to impinge upon said first and second sets, respectively, and, in the second of said positions, to cause said fluid and said gases to impinge upon said first and second sets, respectively, and

means for oscillating said control means between said positions.

'7. In a turbine system, first and second sets of turbine blades, means gearing said sets to one another for rotation together, continuously operable combustion means, a source of relatively cool fluid under pressure, conduit means for directing the products of said combustion means and sald fluid to said first and second sets, control means in saidconduit means movable between two positions whereby, in the first of whichpositions, to limit the flow of the combostionproducts and the fluid to said first and second sets, respectively, and whereby, in the second of said positions, to limit the flow of said combustion products and said fluid to said second and first sets, respectively, and means for moving said control means between said positions in accordance with the temperatures of said blades,

8. In a. turbine system, first and second sets means connecting the other end of said air conduit means and said combustion means to said input means, and switch means in said lastmentioned means for directing the products of said combustion means, selectively, to the input means of said first and second sets while simultaneously directing air to said second and first sets, and means operable in accordance with the temperatures of said blades for controlling said switchmeans.

9. In the combinatioii claimed in claim 8, means connecting said other ends of said air conduit means to said combustion means for supplying pre-heated air thereto.

10. The combination claimed in claim 8, said outlet means including exhaust conduit means passing through said heat-exchange means and exhausting to the atmosphere, said means for feeding air under pressure including air intake means, feed-back conduit means connecting said exhaust conduit means and said air'intake means, and damper means in said feed-back conduit means for selectively closing off said haust conduit means from said air intain supplying hot combustion gases under pressure, a plurality of sources of relatively cool fluid under pressure, first conduit means connecting said combustion means to said input means, second conduit means connecting said sources of relatively cool motive fluid to said combustion means, third conduit means connecting said sources to said input means, and control means between said first and third conduit means and said input means for alternately directing said combustion gases to one of said intake means while simultaneously directing said cool motive fluid to another of said input means.

PERRY WEST. 

